This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Many exhaust systems in the automotive field have attempted to use both active and passive valve assemblies to alter the characteristics of exhaust flow through a conduit as the exhaust pressure increases due to increasing engine speed. Active valves carry the increased expense of requiring a specific actuating element, such as a solenoid. Passive valves utilize the pressure of the exhaust stream in the conduit with which the valve is associated.
Traditionally, passive valves, even at their lower expense, give rise to problems of accelerated wear and vibratory noise or chatter when the valve switches from an open position to a fully closed position wherein a portion of the valve plate contacts an inner surface of the conduit housing the valve.